The Weapons of the Hanseatic League–

Aldermen at War

A Docudrama by Jean Zühlsdorff

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Logline Page 3

Project Page Page 4

Project Information Page 5

Content Page 6

Form and Style Page 7

Questions to the Director Page 8

The Crew (Selected Biographies) Page 9–13

Advisors and Experts of the Docudrama Page 14

Patrons and Sponsors (Acknowledgments) Page 15

Contact Page 16

Table of Contents

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Stralsund at the time of the Hanse, an influential city on the Baltic Sea. The residents of Stralsund became rich through long-distance, sea-borne trade and contributed greatly to the rise in

power of the regional merchant guilds (or Hanse) who eventually formed an alliance known as the Hanseatic League, the most powerful league of cities in the Middle Ages. Though an influential city, Stralsund was nonetheless—as were many other cities of the time—simultaneously stricken with internal unrest and upheaval as its citizens rebelled against the ruling upper class‘s abuse

of power.

Logline

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Project Page

Since 1980, 163 cities in 15 different countries have joined forces to form an active network of cities. The cities all have one thing in common: They were once all either members or

had close trading relationships with a powerful, influential league of cities —

The Hanseatic League.

The Hanseatic League, or Hanse, is considered to have been the first supra-regional economic community of the world. The Hanse was held together by a common economic interest: The idea of free trade — a concept that has gained new relevance in contemporary Europe since the fall of the Iron Curtain. The representatives of the medieval League met regularly to exchange information, share advice and make decisions. This tradition continues today among the new Hanseatic cities. In 2006, the Spirit of the Hanse was evoked at the celebration of the 650-year anniversary of the first „Day of the Hanse“ in 1356.

In Stralsund, as is the case in numerous other Hanseatic cities and towns, the remaining preserved medieval brick churches, merchant‘s houses and (in particular) historical town hall all act as visual symbols of and a tangible testimonial to the city and the Hanseatic history. Not only do the structures function as symbols of the city‘s past economic power and politically influential position, but they also document the Hanseatic affiliation and the League‘s victory over external enemies. By the same token, the town hall was also the scene of internal crisis, corrupt machinations, and embittered power struggles.

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Project Information

Genre Docudrama

Filming Locations Stralsund, Rügen, Kiel, Munich (Germany)

Length 1 x 45’ / 52’

Format/Aspect Ratio Digibeta 1:1.78 Post-production Munich/Berlin

Filming Days 40 Days

Language German/ English

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Content

The turbulent decades surrounding the signing of the Treaty of Stralsund in 1370 are the focus of this docudrama.

The history of Stralsund is in many ways typical of the other Hanseatic cities and towns on the Baltic Sea. This gives rise to a closer look at the historical background and the social structures of the cities, the long-distance trade and, in particular, the development of the League itself.

Stralsund‘s rapid rise from an unimportant fishing village to a wealthy, powerful commercial city and the increasing emancipation of its citizens from the royal city founders were the basis of Stralsund‘s important position in the Hanseatic League. Together with the other Hanseatic cities, Stralsund helped strengthen the alliance‘s position in opposition to competitors and the noble ruling powers, thus contributing greatly to the League‘s ascension and heyday.

The central story of the docudrama is the power struggle between the long-established patricians, the Wulflams Family, and the upwardly mobile Karsten Sarnow. This historical narrative reflects events common to other Hanseatic cities where similar massive social unrest and rebellion against the ruling monopolies of the patrician merchants also came to happen.

Though the collapse of the Hanse and Stralsund‘s descent into relative unimportance still lie in the future, some of the eventual causes are already discernable here. The patricians that determine the city‘s fate and fortune as well as the politics of the Hanseatic League are primarily interested in conserving their privileges and acquired status. Thus, they are not open to new developments. Karsten Sarnow and his followers fail in their attempt to introduce a liberal constitution. Sarnow even pays for revolting against the Hanse with his life.

But the spirit of rebellion is awoken and, throughout the centuries that follow, can never again be silenced.

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Form and Style

Immediate access to the events and conditions of the historical epoch is supplied in particularly through the numerous enacted scenes which place the spectator directly

amidst the events as they occur.

For the most part, enacted scenes such as these are utilized to convey the central „historical narrative“ of the film, the power struggle between the long-established patricians, as embodied by the Wulflam Family, and the upwardly mobile middleclass lead by the „climber“ Karsten Sarnow.

On the one hand, the docudrama is based on historical sources such as contracts and agreements, city books and other documents; on the other hand, the still-standing architectural monuments of the time, supplemented by archeological finds and the corresponding knowledge gained, also come into play. Furthermore, related commentary on the current state in research is supplied by a variety of academics and scholars.

Structures, harbor and port facilities, townscapes and ships that no longer exist are reconstructed through complex computer animation; thus, historical facts are presented in a lively and visually exciting manner.

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What inspired the idea of this film?

The history of my hometown Stralsund has always interested me, particularly the turbulent time of the Hanse. It seemed obvious, since I could, so to say, narrate from my own living room... Stories and history of Stralsund. The deciding factor behind the project was a fascinating discovery in the Stralsund city archives. There, I stumbled across a page in a historical city book from the 14th Century that had been made illegible by angry scribbles. The text proved to be a reformed city constitution that had, however, only been briefly valid. That woke my curiosity. I did more research and brought a story to the light of day that positively screamed to be filmed.

And the visual concept?

The idea was to have the entire documentary take place in the 14th Century. As if one were in a time machine and could experience history first hand.To achieve this, we filmed scenes with actors at original locations. We supplemented them with 3D and computer generated elements and virtual map animation. In addition, we also created scenes that were entirely computer animated. This presented us with the task of reconstructing historical structures so as to present the medieval townscape as fully as possible. To be able to supply the 3D designers with the needed models we worked closely with historians and archeologists. In regard to the visual design—as in the production design, the lighting design, the color selection, the technical realization and so forth—we naturally took full advantage of all common modern stylistic devices and also let ourselves be inspired by the old masters of both the visual arts and film.

How were you able to get such a complex project done?

It took 40 shooting days with over 165 actors of differing backgrounds in Stralsund, Kiel, Munich and on the island of Rügen. That, however, was only one part of the production. The post-production phase is being done primarily online, or virtually. Most of the interaction between the various members of the Hanse Doc team takes place using common online tools. A central element here is the „online board“ on which all team members can present their work and express themselves. This structure enables us to collaborate with numerous creative individuals in Germany and abroad. What‘s also special about this project is that everyone‘s involvement is idealistically based—it is in addition to and outside of their normal jobs. In total, over 200 film people, artists and experts have worked on the Hanse Doc. I think that this method of working together, as well as the extent of the associated zeal and idealism of the individual team members in regard to the project, is almost unique.

Question to the Director Jean Zühlsdorff

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Crew (Selected)

Producer STiC-er Theater Stralsund

Director/ Screenplay Jean Zühlsdorff

Script Development/

Narration Text Christine Kabus

Historical Research/

Screen Story Karsten Schönbach

Director of Photography Holger Seidel

Steadicam Operator Stefan Olivier

Editing Anne Jünemann

VFX-Supervisor Stefan Kirste

3D Supervisor Andreas Kirste

Brand Design Christiane Böhm

Music Markus Lehmann-Horn & Ingo P. Stefans

Narration Lutz Riedel/ Martin Heckmann

Scenography Florian Duelli

Production Manager (On-site) Mark Löbnitz

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Biographies (Selected)

Jean Zühlsdorff – DirectorShe presented her first short film in 1998. While studying film and television direction at the Kassel School of Art and Design she made a number of filmic works in a variety of genres and won numerous awards (among others: „Best Experimental Film“ at DAFF, Gold at „FanTex“ and Silver at Bundesfestival für Spielfilm („Federal Film Festival“) in Dortmund). The docudrama „The Weapons of the Hanseatic League – Aldermen at War“ is the thesis project of her film studies.

Filmography (Selected):

2000 Land in Sicht („Land in View“) | ReportageConcept, Production, Directing, Camera, EditingCommissioned by the Präventivrat der Hansestadt Stralsund („Preventive Council of the Hanseatic City of Stralsund“)

2001/2002 freibeuter.tv („buccaneer.tv“)| Youth BroadcastConception/Implementation of the Youth Broadcast Program, Broadcast on diverse regional broadcasting stations, Regional Program Series

2002 Etap | Experimental FilmConcept, Directing, Camera, Editing

2003 instant friend – just add water | Ultra Short (Short Movie)Concept, Directing

Holger Seidel – Director of PhotographyFollowing his training in fashion and commercial photography he worked as a gaffer and camera assistant for numerous films by Dominik Graf, Rainer Kaufmann, Edgar Reitz, Hans-Christian Schmidt and Edoardo Winspeare. Since 1997 he has been active as a freelance cameraman in commercials, feature films and documentaries.

Filmography (Selected):

2003 Georgisches Liebeslied | 2nd Unit | Director: Tatjana Brandrup

2004 The Weapons of the Hanseatic League – Aldermen at WarDirector: Jean Zühlsdorff

2005 Tatort - Borowski in der Unterwelt | 2nd Unit and B-CameraDirector: Claudia Garde

2006 Musée Dar el Bacha | Director: Farida BelyazidHokuspokus Junior | 2nd Unit and B-Camera | Director: Claudia Garde

2007 Brunsbüttel. Watt? | Director: Frank D. Müller

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Selected Biographies: Crew (Continued)

Christine Kabus – Concept/ Narration TextsAfter her studies (History/German Studies), Christine Kabus worked for three years at a variety of theaters as both director and dramatic advisor. In 1996 she changed to the film industry and began working as a reader for KirchMedia in Munich. For the next seven years she appraised film scripts and supervised numerous film projects as dramatic advisor. In 2003 she went into business for herself and began to develop and write her own film projects including, among others, the ZDF television series „Küstenwache“.

Karsten Schönbach – Historical Research/ Screen StorySince 2003 Karsten Schönbach has been studying at the Ernst Moritz Arndt University in the Hanseatic City of Greifswald to become a teacher of German and History. Alongside Hanseatic topics, for a number of years now the focus of his historic studies has been in the sphere of economic history; currently he is completing his academic study „The German Corporation and the Rise of Hitler“.

Anne Jünemann – EditingShe came to film by way of photography. Together with Jean Zühlsdorff, she was co-director of the youth broadcast „freibeuter.tv (buccaneer.tv)“. During this time she also made a short film that was screened successfully at a variety of film festivals. After an internship at the design company Stereolize she worked as an assistant editor for Nathalie Pürzer in 2002 and then became a junior editor at Second Unit Services. Since 2005 she has been working freelance in commercials and broadcast promotion. The docudrama „The Weapons of the Hanseatic League – Aldermen at War“ is her first feature-length film project.

Markus Lehmann-Horn – MusicFrom 1987, he received private piano and guitar lessons. Followed by composition lessons by Tobias PM Schneid from 2000 until 2003. Subsequently the study of film music by Enjott Schneider. In the last years, compositions emerged for the A*Devantgarde-Festival (2003), the opera-festival (2004), as well as for the „Cosi Cantano“ (2005) in Munich. Today he works as an commission composer for radio, film and television.

Ingo P. Stefans – MusicHe studied Musicology, Dramatics and Art History at the LMU in Munich. This year he received his diploma in “Composition for Film and Television” at the University for Music and Drama in Munich with Prof. Dr. phil. Enjott Schneider. While studying he composed various soundtracks for short films, feature films, documentaries and industrial films as well as orchestra and chamber music.

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Selected Biographies: Crew (Continued)

Stefan Kirste – VFX-SupervisorPrior to studying media informatics Stefan Kirste worked with juveniles learning video production at the STiC-er Theater e.V. of the Pädagogischen Zentrums (Educational Center) of Stralsund and assisted in the production of the youth broadcast „freibeuter.tv (buccaneer.tv)“. During his studies he did freelance video effects work for the company Capture Berlin, where he shared responsibilities in the post-production of advertising spots, music videos and tradeshow films. Since November 2005 he has been active as a VFX artist at Südlich-t in Munich and has done diverse projects for various advertising agencies and ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG.

Andreas Kirste – 3D-SupervisorAndreas Kirste was active in multimedia productions even before he began studying informatics. He participated in the media workshop of the STiC-er Theater e.V. in Stralsund and taught himself computer graphics. During his studies he realized numerous projects in the media sector for, among others, SonicMaze, computer game DiceNShoot.

Florian Duelli – ScenographyFloian Duelli received his diploma in interior architecture at the Academy of Fine Arts of Munich in 2003. Subsequently he completed postgraduate courses in stage and production design at the University of Television and Film Munich. He is a member of „camp“, a partnership involved in interior architecture, stage design, production design and design in general. At the moment he is active in the coordination of varied film and architectural projects.

Christiane Böhm – Brand Design Christiane Böhm completed her multimedia studies in Augsburg in 2004. „The Circle“, the film she made as her final project, was awarded the London Short Film Award „The Eye“ in 2005. Since then she has worked as a freelance visual effects and composite designer for commercial and independent films. As of 2006 she has been an instructor for the interface design at the University of Applied Sciences in Augsburg.

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Rayk Schroeder – 3D Operating/ Compositing/ ResearchIn 2003 Rayk Schroeder finished his studies in Applied Computer Sciences (Multimedia) at the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin. Subsequently he worked as a 3D modeler and level designer at the computer firm BVM, and then as a composite artist at Capture Berlin. Since 2004 he has been working freelance as a composite and 3D artist.

Anne Fuhrmann - CompositingAs a trainee in the Visual Effects department, she started in autumn 2001 for Action Concept Film- und Stuntproduktion in Hürth. Anne was there from April 2002 until June 2006 working as a VFX-Operator. In this time, she was involved in projects as „The Clown“ (feature film) and more than 95 TV-productions, mainly „Alarm für Cobra 11“, after that followed various projects. Since April 2007 she has been working as a freelancer.

Jan Erdmann – 3D-Operating/ ResearchIn 1999 Jan Erdmann completed his training as a digital media designer at the company Drefa Atelier. Subsequently, he completed his studies in audio visual media at the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne in 2004. Since 1999 (and throughout his studies) he has worked as an editor for various television projects and as a 3D modeler for the Hanseatic documentary.

Daniel Arweiler – 3D Operating/ ResearchDaniel Arweiler studied media informatics at the Fachhochschule of Flensburg. During his studies, he completed a traineeship at the TV production company Cologne News Corporation where he was involved in various areas of film production and was also employed by an advertising agency in Munich. For this documentary he was responsible for the 3D reconstruction the city Stralsund during the time of the Hanse. After completing his diploma project in Rosenheim, he was hired in 2006 as a software developer for a company in Unterschleißheim.

Stefan Thomas – 3D Operating/ ResearchFollowing his training as a furniture carpenter, Stefan Thomas initially worked as a detail designer and model builder in the industry and design fields. Following an outing as stage designer at the Theaterakademie (Academy of Theatre) in Munich, he completed training as media designer. Since 2002 he has been working freelance in 3D visualization with emphasis on reconstruction for medicinal and scientific purposes. Since 2005 he has also been doing advertising work for Infinite Vision and Fiction Films.

Selected Biographies: Crew (Continued)

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Advisors and Experts of the Docudrama

Prof. Horst Wernicke (Ph.D) – Medieval HistorianUniversity of GreifswaldManaging Director of the Historical Institute of the University of GreifswaldHansischer Geschichtsverein (Hanseatic Historical Association)

Dr. Ralf-Gunnar Werlich (Ph.D) – Medieval HistorianUniversity of GreifswaldHistorical Institute of the University of Greifswald

Dr. Hans Joachim Hacker – DirectorHansestadt Stralsund Archiv (Stralsund City Archives)

Nicole Kiesewetter – Medieval HistorianJournalist - Hansestadt Greifswald

Dr. Birgit Kulessa – Medieval ArcheologistPre and Early History, as well as Medieval Archeology

Dr. Thomas Förster – Underwater Archeology & MuseologyLandesverband für Unterwasserarchäologie Mecklenburg-Vorpommern(Society for Underwater Archaeology in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern)Project Coordinator OZEANEUM – Hanseatic City of Stralsund

Gunnar Möller – Diploma in PrehistoryHansestadt Stralsund, BauamtAbteilung Planung und DenkmalpflegeUntere Denkmalschutzbehörde(Hanseatic City of Stralsund, Office of Planning & BuildingDepartment of Planning and Preservation of Historical BuildingsLower Authority of Historical Monuments & Building)

Dr. Andreas Grüger – DirectorThe Stralsund Museum of Cultural History

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Landesrundfunkzentrale Mecklenburg-VorpommernLandesjugendamt - Abteilung Jugend u. Familie M-VLandesfilmzentrum M-V/ Film e.V.Kulturelle Filmförderung M-VLandesförderinstitut M-VMinisterium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und KulturKunsthochschule KasselFachhochschule FlensburgHansestadt StralsundStaatsbibliothek zu BerlinDeutsches Technikmuseum BerlinTheater Vorpommern - Greifswald/ StralsundKulturhof Mölschow M-VKoggen e.V. BremenInstitut für Neue Medien - RostockFAS Fernsehen am Strelasund - Stralsund, Rügen - Vorpommern Second Unit Services - MünchenSüdlich-t - MünchenBernd Rillich Postproduktion- MünchenGiesing-Team - MünchenSound Shop Michael Stecher München - GrünwaldARRI Film und TV Services - MünchenCapture BerlinAnyMotion - Computeranimation & Visualisierung - Bremenindustry graphics - realtexture ChemnitzSplutterFish, LLCWacom EuropeComet GmbH Pyrotechnik Apparatebau BremerhavenKeramik-Werkstattgalerie Weber - StralsundAdrian Butler „Zur Werkstatt-Anker“ - StralsundHannelore Höpner „Zur Fähre-Kneipe“ - StralsundWallensteinkeller Restaurant - StralsundFisherman´s Restaurant - StralsundKösteritzer - Wernesgrüner Vertriebs GmbHSWS Stralsunder WohnungsbauABC Schloßtechnik - StralsundJörg Matuschat Autor von „Stralsunder Geschichte von A bis Z“Jorinde Gustav Weberin - StralsundJohn Flooks Bildhauer - StralsundJosef Wycisk Giebelhausbesitzer 14. Jahrhundert - StralsundDaniel Klimt ökolog./ hist. Bauen - StralsundFamilie Früchtenich Ferienwohnungen - StralsundAnette Zellmer Tierärztin Homöop./ Züchterin - NieparsSebastian Schwinkendorf Fotograf & Webdesigner Geflügelzucht Andershofer Puten GmbHStralsunder Getreide- u. Handels AGSven Kleinert – Bauingenieur - StralsundSES mbH Stralsund - Herr BoieRechtsanwälte Brauch, Bischoff & Partner - StralsundAnke Fonferek - Landestheater Schwaben Ostseezeitung

Patrons and Sponsors This documentary was aided, sponsored and supported by:

Special thanks also go out to everyone that we could no longer fit on our list here. We hope you understand.

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Contact:

Production

STiC-er Theater e.V. StralsundFrankenstr. 6118435 Hansestadt Stralsund/ Germany

Axel ZühlsdorffArtistic Director

Lilian Martinez MiguelPuplic Relations

Telephone +49 3831 - 280786F a x +49 3831 - 29074 5 Internet www.h a n s e d o k u .d e www.s t i c - e r.de

E - M a i l mail@hansedoku.d e post @s t i c - e r .d e

Jean ZühlsdorffDirector & Production

Telephone + 49 30 - 46 99 88 24Cell Phone + 49 162 - 1 3 4 3 3 0 8

E - M a i l a r e m i s @ g m x . d e

Holger SeidelCinematography & Production

Telephone +4 9 30 - 420 11 6 0 0F a x + 4 9 3 0 - 420 11 6 0 1Cell Phone +4 9 176 - 27 27 48 3 0

E - M a i l info@holgerseidel.com